Wild Faerie Caps

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

This is a mash of several recipes. Namely this one and a vegan lentil one that I'm currently unable to find (will update later if I rediscover it's origins).

What I do (I'm lazy. And I cook the same way I review books these days - sloppily and with much emotion, though usually internalized):

In a big stock pot saute a diced onion in olive oil (or if you're out of onion skip to adding water, then add spices - including powdered onion). Add spices, stir, let cook while frantically looking for a can of diced tomato. Add can of tomato (or sauce if you discover you're out - but it's better with diced tomato in my opinion). Add two cans of water (who needs measuring cups, right?) and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Drain several cans of beans. I like to use garbanzo, black, and pinto. Add to pot. Add about a cup of dried lentils. Add leftover guacamole or as much avocado as you have lying around - it can take a great amount and taste amazing. Shake in about half a cup (I've never measured this in my life) of ground flax seeds and.. er.. a quarter of a cup? A third? A generous amount of nutritional yeast. Because deliciousness (if you don't have this or don't like it, I imagine it'd be just fine without it).

Hmm. Stir, cover, simmer for as long as you can stand (at least 30 minutes - lentils need to cook. I often let it go for about an hour when I forget about it, though). Try and stir it regularly or your teenager in charge of doing the dishes will yell at you for having to clean the stuff stuck on the bottom of the pot.

Once you're ready to eat, grab a stick blender thing and blend the holy heck out of it. It will end up being delightfully lumpy and surprisingly similar in texture to the meat chili we used to make before I decided that was gross and please don't make me eat animals anymore.

Serve with pasta. Or fritos. Or whatever. With lots of cheese (because we're terrible vegans here and cheese is delicious). Freezes well, pleases most of the monsters in my house.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes
The Winner's Curse - Marie Rutkoski (obviously I need to read this before book 2)
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making - Catherynne Valente
The Kiss of Deception - Mary Pearson
Wildwood Imperium - Colin Meloy (I need to restart with book 1, though - which I also own)
The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon (obviously I need to read this before book 2)
Beastkeeper - Cat Hellisen (a reread, but I love all of Cat's books)

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

(three of the above I've read before but needed on my shelves for rereading: The Orchid Affair and The Lure of the Moonflower - both by Lauren Willig and Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen. Oh wait. I also read The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. But I need to reread it before I get to The Mime Order.)

Next indulgence once the third Maggie Hall book comes out in paperback. World's End? Something like that.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Home school can be hard. Finding secular science curriculum that doesn't cost a small fortune is also hard. I cobbled a curriculum together using CK12 and a biology coloring book.

Now I just have to write up algebra 2, Japanese, 2D animation, and computer literacy lessons. And fit them all (along with Oak Meadow world lit and geography and the aforementioned biology) into a schedule that has a chance of working out for us. To think, I need to have it all done before August, too!

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

A companion for Geralt. And because I need (on an emotional level) a gift to give to B on his *actual* birthday..

Used the Slave Leia pattern by CraftyTibbles. I didn't follow all of the pattern, obviously. But I used it heavily. Her patterns are great for person-shaped character designs that pop into your head and natter at you until you make them.

Anyway. It was requested that I make "Geralt's one true love" to keep him company on B's shelf at work. Well, anyone who knows me knows that Triss does not fit that role in my world. But Yennefer is too regal for me. Too detailed. And the idea of trying to get her hair right makes my head ache. So Triss it is. B likes her better anyway (cue my grumbling).

With luck he won't see this post (I don't think he ever checks unless I send him the link anyway) because I'm trying so hard to hold onto this doll for three more days. It'd be novel to give him a gift on the right day for once.

Reference (from the additional content that came with Witcher 2 on GOG):

Front:

Back:

Her hair isn't perfect. Okay. Nothing about her is perfect. But I think I did a decent job all the same.

Friday, April 28, 2017

The Beast loved this game. He hasn't played it in a while. But.. I made a pattern for the round headed prisoner anyway.

And then made a variant for him in his cat pajamas.

Because reasons. (Also it's his birthday gift. That I haven't given to him already. Unlike the other four things I made for him...)

Will I ever share this pattern? Dunno. There are some fiddly bits that I don't feel like explaining. I guess if someone asked I'd give it a go. But it's not like this is a particularly difficult character to make..

Not entirely happy with the ears. It bothers me the more I look at it. Should have made the triangle lopsided so they'd stand up better. Oh well. Next time.